Melopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects

Melopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects - Exterior Photography, GlassMelopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects - Exterior Photography, FacadeMelopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects - Exterior Photography, FacadeMelopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects - Interior Photography, HandrailMelopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects - More Images+ 22

Ghent, Belgium
  • Competition Team: Xaveer De Geyter, Doug Allard, Thérese Fritzell, Ingrid Huyghe, Willem Van Besien, Stéphanie Willocx
  • Definitive Design: Xaveer De Geyter, Karel Bruyland, Thérese Fritzell, Arie Gruijters, Ingrid Huyghe, Willem Van Besien, Stéphanie Willocx
  • Implementation: Xaveer De Geyter, Ingrid Huyghe, Willem Van Besien
  • Clients: SO Gent
  • City: Ghent
  • Country: Belgium
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Melopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Maxime Delvaux

Text description provided by the architects. In the harbour area, a narrow stretch of land along a dock is freed from port activities. A very simple ‘chopstick’ urban plan is developed by O.M.A. in which green open pockets alternate with dense construction. In order to offer a notion of centrality to the linear plan, a public path is meant to cross the whole strip.

Melopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects - Exterior Photography
© Maxime Delvaux
Melopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects - Image 23 of 27
Section A-A'
Melopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects - Interior Photography, Handrail
© Maxime Delvaux

The site for the school faces one green area at its south side, the dock on its west side, a square and a housing block on the north, and the harbour road on the east. The requested program for the building, a combination of a primary school, after school care centre, a nursery, and sports facilities for both the school and its neighbourhood, is diverse and extensive.

Melopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects - Exterior Photography
© Maxime Delvaux
Melopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects - Image 19 of 27
Ground floor plan
Melopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects - Exterior Photography
© Maxime Delvaux

On top, it requires a great deal of specific outside playgrounds. In order to counter the lack of space, deal with the inside-outside complexity of programs and allow for the public path to pass, the maximum building envelope is divided into two halves: one compact building housing all interior functions, and outside space in which the playgrounds are stacked. In between both, and under a first-level playground realized in glass tiles, the path crosses the volume.

Melopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects - Exterior Photography, Glass
© Maxime Delvaux

A galvanized steel skeleton unifies the two halves. On the side of the interior volume, the façades of the building are designed as a patchwork of opaque and translucent polycarbonate, glass, and aluminium louvres. The outside structure will be overgrown with vegetation climbing along with a steel mesh, in which some large ‘windows’ are cut out.

Melopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects - Exterior Photography
© Maxime Delvaux

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Project location

Address:Ghent, Belgium

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Melopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects" 02 Sep 2020. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/946816/melopee-school-xdga-xaveer-de-geyter-architects> ISSN 0719-8884

© Maxime Delvaux

比利时框架学校 / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects

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